أَتَىA man came to youرَجُلٌa manصَادِقٌtruthfulوَقَالَand saidإِنَّthatسِيَّارَةٌthe carفُلَانٌso-and-soصِفَتُهَاits descriptionكَذَاlike thisوَكَذَاand like this
A truthful man came to you and said: 'The description of so-and-so's car is like this and like that...
وَوَصَفَهَاand described itتَمَامًا؛completely;فَتُدْرِكُso you graspالْكَيْفِيَّةَthe mannerالْآنَ.now.
And he described it completely; so you grasp the manner now.
وَلِهَذَاAnd for thisأَيْضًاalsoقَالَsaidبَعْضُsomeالْعُلَمَاءِscholarsجَوَابًاin responseلَطِيفًا:pleasantly:إِنَّthatمَعْنَىthe meaningقَوْلِنَاof our sayingبِدُونَwithoutتَكْيِيفٍ:specification:
And for this reason, some scholars also said pleasantly: 'The meaning of our saying: 'without specification:'
لَيْسَis notمَعْنَاهُits meaningأَلَاthat notنَظُنُّwe believeلَهُfor itكَيْفِيَّةً،a manner,بَلْbutنَظُنُّwe believeلَهُfor itكَيْفِيَّةً،a manner,لَكِنَّbutالْمَنْفَىthe denialعِلْمُنَاof our knowledgeبِالْكَيْفِيَّةِ؛of the manner;لَأَنَّbecauseاسْتَوَاءَthe exaltationاللَّهُGodعَلَىonالْعَرْشِthe throneلَاnoشَكٌّdoubtأَنَّهُthatلَهُfor itكَيْفِيَّةً،a manner,لَكِنَّbutلَاnotتَعْلَمُyou know;نُزُولَهُHis descentإِلَىtoالسَّمَاءِthe skyالدُّنْيَاthe worldلَهُhasكَيْفِيَّةً،a manner,لَكِنَّbutلَاnotتَعْلَمُ؛you know;لأَنَّهُbecauseمَاnothingمِنْfromمَوْجُودٍexistingإِلَّاexceptوَلَهُfor itكَيْفِيَّةً،a manner,لَكِنَّهَاbut theyقَدْmightتَكُونَbeمَعْلُومَةً،known,وَقَدْand mightتَكُونَbeمَجْهُولَةً.unknown.
He is not denying it; its meaning is not that we do not believe it has a manner, but we believe it has a manner, but our knowledge about the manner is denied; because God's exaltation on the throne undoubtedly has a manner, but His descent to the lower heaven has a manner, but you do not know it; because nothing exists except that it has a manner, but it might be known, and it might be unknown.
سُئِلَIt was askedالإِمَامُthe ImamمَالِكٌMalikرَحِمَهُMay God have mercyاللَّهُon himعَنْaboutقَوْلِهِhis sayingتَعَالَى:the Most High:﴿﴿الرَّحْمَنُThe Most Mercifulعَلَىonالْعَرْشِthe throneاسْتَوَىestablished Himself﴾﴾[طه:[Ta-Ha:٥]5]كَيْفَhowاسْتَوَى؟did He establish Himself?
The Imam Malik, may God have mercy on him, was asked about the saying of the Most High: 'The Most Merciful established Himself on the throne' [Ta-Ha: 5]: 'how did He establish Himself?'
فَأَطْرَقَSo he loweredمَالِكٌMalikبِرَأْسِهِwith his headحَتَّىuntilعَلَاهُit covered himالْعَرَقُ،with sweat,ثُمَّthenرَفَعَhe raisedرَأْسَهُhis headوَقَالَand saidالِاسْتَوَاءُthe establishmentغَيْرُis notمَجْهُولٌ؛unknown;أَيْ:that is:مِنْfromحَيْثُwhereالمَعْنَىthe meaningمَعْلُومٌ؛is known;لَأَنَّbecauseاللُّغَةُthe languageالْعَرَبِيَّةُArabicبَيْنَis clearأَيْدِينَا،before us,كُلُّeveryالْمَوَاضِعِplaceالَّتِيin whichوُرِدَتْit was mentionedفِيهَاwithin itاسْتَوَىestablished Himselfمُعَدَّاةًprepositionedبِـwithعَلَىonمَعْنَاهَاits meaningالْعُلُوُّthe exaltationفَقَالَ:He said:
So Malik lowered his head until sweat overcame him, then he raised his head and said: 'The establishment is not unknown; that is: from where the meaning is known; because the Arabic language is clear before us, every place in which it is mentioned that He established Himself, the meaning is exaltation.'
الِاسْتَوَاءُThe establishmentغَيْرُis notمَجْهُولٌ،unknown,وَالكَيْفُand howغَيْرُis notمَعْقُولٌ؛reasonable;لَأَنَّbecauseالْعَقْلُthe intellectلَاdoes notيُدْرِكُcomprehendالْكَيْفَ؛the how;فَإِذَاSo ifارْتَفَعَit is deniedالدَّلِيلُthe proofالسَّمْعِيُّthe auditoryوَالْعَقْلِيُّand rationalعَنaboutالْكَيْفِيَّةِ؛the manner;وَجَبَit is necessaryالْكُفُّto refrainعَنْهَا،from it,وَالْإِيمَانُand beliefبِهِin itوَاجِبٌ؛is obligatory;لَأَنَّbecauseاللَّهَGodأَخْبَرَinformedبِهِof itعَنْaboutنَفْسِهِ،Himself,فَوَجَبَthus it is necessaryتَصْدِيقُهُ،to believe in it,وَالسُّؤَالُand asking aboutعَنْهُabout itبِدْعَةٌis an innovation(١)(1)السُّؤَالُthe questionعَنْaboutالْكَيْفِيَّةِ.the manner.
And the establishment is not unknown, and the way is not reasonable; because the intellect does not comprehend the manner; so if the auditory and rational proofs about the manner are denied; it is necessary to refrain from it, and to believe in it is obligatory; because God has informed about it concerning Himself, thus it is necessary to believe it, and asking about it is an innovation (1) to ask about the manner.
رُوِيَIt was narratedاللالكائيby Al-Lalakaiفِيinشَرْحِthe explanationالسُّنَّةِof the Sunnah(٦٦٤)(664)،,وَالْبَيْهَقِيand Al-Bayhaqiفِيinالْأَسْمَاءِthe namesوَالْصِّفَاتِand attributes(٨٦٧)،(867),وَقَالَand he saidالْحَافِظُthe Hafizفِيin«الْفَتْحِ»'Al-Fath'(٤٠٧/١)(407/1)::إِسْنَادُهُIts chain of narrationجَيِّدٌ،is good,وَرُوِيَand narratedالْدَّارِمِيُّby Al-Darimiفِيinالرَّدِّthe repudiationعَلَىonالْجَهْمِيَّةِthe Jahmites(١٠٤)(104)،,وَابْنُand IbnعَبْدِAbdالْبَرِّal-Barفِيinالتَّمْهِيدِ»'Al-Tamhid'(١٥١/٧).(151/7).
It was narrated by Al-Lalakai in the explanation of the Sunnah (664), and Al-Bayhaqi in the names and attributes (867), and the Hafiz said in 'Al-Fath' (407/1): 'Its chain of narration is good,' and it was narrated by Al-Darimi in the repudiation of the Jahmites (104), and Ibn Abd al-Bar in 'Al-Tamhid' (151/7).
وَقَالَAnd saidشَيْخُSheikhالإِسْلَامِof IslamابْنُIbnتَيْمِيَّةَTaimiyyaبَعْدَafterقَوْلِthe sayingمَالِكٍ:of Malik:وَهَذَاand thisالْجَوَابُresponseثَابِتٌis establishedعَنْfromرَبِيعَةَRabi'aالشَّيْخِthe Sheikh
And Sheikh of Islam Ibn Taimiyya, after the saying of Malik: 'And this response is established from Rabi'a, the Sheikh'.